


The Covenant - Memoria en Aranea Telam

by TeamTwerkDatFluffySuperWhoLock



Category: The Covenant (2006)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst, Because his backstory is total bullshit, Child Abuse, Implied Sexual Content, Major character death - Freeform, Obsession With Spiders, Other, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sibling, Pseudo-Incest, Sibling Incest, Sibling Jealousy, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, Spiders, We are rewriting it, slightly canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2018-01-26 20:13:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1701068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamTwerkDatFluffySuperWhoLock/pseuds/TeamTwerkDatFluffySuperWhoLock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His banishment by Caleb wasn't enough.</p><p>The Sons of Ipswich now dedicate themselves to a new mission and a new Covenant; destroy any trace, any evidence of the existence of the Fifth Son.</p><p>While raiding the room and possessions of the Banished Son, they find a briefcase containing two books.</p><p>One is a tome. A hand-written encyclopedia, an extremely detailed compendium of spiders. The other, a plain black notebook, is blank to the human eye. Sealed with magic, each page contains secrets buried beneath spells that can only be broken by a "key" word corresponding to each "locked" page. </p><p>In a nutshell, a warlock's diary. </p><p>A diary detailing Chase's life with his adopted family and the tragic obsession for his sister; Charlotte.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cupboard Spider

**Author's Note:**

> THE FOLLOWING ARE PROBLEMS WE HAD WITH THE MOVIE:
> 
> \- Sebastian Stan  
> \- Character's bullshit backstory  
> \- The unoriginal use and symbolism of spiders (which inspired us to use them as plot device for this story)  
> \- FUCKIN' HORNY ANGSTY TEENAGE WARLOCKS  
> \- The amount of half-naked dudes vs. the amount of ACTUAL PLOT  
> \- The dialogue  
> \- The Ending  
> \- BASICALLY, THE WHOLE FUCKIN' MOVIE.
> 
> So here we are, trying to redeem this movie in our souls somehow and doing a bang-up job at it. Go long and flame on, guys. UGH.

When Tyler found the two tomes in the briefcase, the first thought through them all was to destroy it.

Then there's Pogue, always the constant voice of reason. "At this point, what do we got? Cheap clothes, a toothbrush, and a burner phone. This is the only personal item of his we've found so far, guys." Reid was disappointed when he wasn't allowed to set them on fire.

Which is why a huge leather-bound tome and an inconspicuous notebook have their covers upon the wooden table in the candle-lit basement, four warlocks scrutinizing the pages.

The tome is obvious; the first page states it existence, "Illustrated Arachnid Compendium", printed in big bold calligraphy. A generic, but gorgeously detailed, spider rests on a web underneath the words. The page itself is yellowed and delicate, the parchment so fragile to the point that all of the boys use their telekinesis to give a general flip-through of the volume.

The notebook is odd. Empty, except for the page numbers along the top right corner in random sequence. And all the text completely sealed by magic. It is Caleb who identifies the magic. A lock and key. The "key" is the scientific name of the spider entered on the page of compendium listed in the notebook.

"Page 45. Steatoda grossa."

And all the boys have to shield their eyes away from the binding light that follows.

*

_"Your baby is a girl, ma'am. A beautiful and healthy daughter."_

_Gillian Collins flashes an unmistakable sneer of disgust at the crying bundle in the nurse's arms. She recuperates from her negativity by turning her attention to a 4-year-old Chase, who managed to sneak in and stay invisible until now. She has a sugary smile on her face, all honeyed and doe-eyed._

_"Chase, baby. You said you wanted a sibling, right? Well, go on. Take her."_

_The nurse tries to convince Gillian to hold her new daughter, but the woman's glare silences her. The response from Arthur is similar, not a shred of fatherly love seen in those eyes. Chase doesn't even bother to fake an appalled or surprised expression to match the nurse's as she reluctantly hands the baby to him, giving him hesitant instructions on how to properly hold his little sister. Chase carries her so he can hide the secretive and adoring smile on his face, soothing her until her screams become silent breaths._

_"What would you like to name her, son?"_

_Chase doesn't miss the toxic emphasis on 'her' in his father's tone. The smile slips from his lips as he raises his head to look at the man with frozen slate-blue eyes, colder than the snow falling outside the window. He gives a sordid glance to his mother before returning to the wrapped baby in his arms. When the boy places a kiss on his sister's forehead, her eyes slowly crack open._

_Chase stares back at the mesmerizing emerald eyes looking at him, a gaze that nearly leaves him breathless._

_"Charlotte. I wanna call her Charlotte."_

*

The Sons are reeling, each gripping their heads and groaning at the pulsing headache pounding their skulls. All attention switches between Caleb and Pogue, asking in silence for answers to what the hell they just saw. Pogue responds.

"It's one of his memories. Sometimes if a warlock records something very important and seals it with this spell, he'll seal the memory associated in here too. If he's not Ascended when he cast the spell, he'll forget the memory. If he was; the most prominent word for this memory will be tattooed somewhere on his body."

"But we've seen him in nothing but the swim trunks. I didn't see a single tattoo on him anywhere."

Caleb chuckles and speaks. "It could be tattooed underneath his hair. And Reid, you've just admitted you were checking him out."

Reid pouts and blows a raspberry. "He might be a Power-addicted, banished, scary, manipulative, mentally unstable warlock, but he was still pretty hot! Am I not allowed to ogle another guy?"  Tyler, Caleb, and Pogue roll their eyes at him. "But now that you mention it, there is a really tiny tat on his wrist. I couldn't read what it says though."

"Don't worry about it. It has to come from one of these entries. We'll figure out later."

He shrugs and returns to the page of the journal with the other boys, which was now covered in a childish scrawl, neat and appropriating words at a level beyond a 4-year-old, but still obviously written by a hand barely large enough to hold a pencil.

-  
December 15th, 1992

Charlotte and Mom and Dad came home today. I waited nine months. Now I have Charlotte. Mom and Dad don't like Charlotte. They look at her mean. They look like they want to hurt her.

Charlotte has pretty eyes. Green like grass. She's pretty. I like Charlotte. Her bed is in my room. Mom to put it there. I like to see her sleep. It's nice.

I'm her big brother. I take care of Charlotte. She is my little sister. Mine. My Charlotte.

-

"Obsessive older brother much?" Tyler claps Reid on the back of his head. Reid rolls his eyes.

"But why haven't we heard about this? When me and Caleb looked through his file, there wasn't anything even mentioned about a sister."

"Because he stole his own file and replaced it with what he wanted you to see."

Tyler is holding up a manila folder, "Collins, Chase" labeled in black ink. While void of all the newspaper clippings and whatnot, the school's profile of him is not as blank as the one in the Registrar's office. Under the "Immediate Family" section, a box detailing "Siblings", a sister is filled out. Reid reads it aloud.

"Charlotte Melanie Collins; born December 13th, 1992. Parents: Gillian and Arthur Collins. Height; 5'4". Weight; 110 pounds. Hair color; blonde. Eye color; green. She sounds like a total cutie."

"She's fourteen, you freakin' pedophile." Reid laughs.

"And missing." Caleb pulls out a tiny newspaper clipping paper-clipped to the profile. They all notice only one thing.

**-**

**DATE MISSING: July 14th, 2006.**

-

"Did he kill her?" Caleb shakes his head at Tyler.

"No. If he did, he wouldn't have gone to the lengths he had to hide her and prevent us from using her against him. If he killed her, not only would the newspapers have said so, he would've also put it in his fake file to rub it in our face. She has to be somewhere."

"Maybe the diary will tell us. We could have a use for her." Pogue says.

"Oh yeah, I can think of quite a few." This time Caleb claps Reid.

"Stop using your dick as a compass for 20 seconds, dude." Caleb turns to the other boys.

"There's a spell that can access a person's memories of someone. Anything they remember being related to that someone. If we can find her, we can find everything that she remembers about Chase and destroy any possible artifact that could have even a shred of his power. Including the spiders."

The boys stand in silence, figuring out their next course of action. Pogue becomes the man with the plan.

"Alright. Me and Reid will stay here. I don't want this punk to do anything out of line if we find something in the field. We'll keep unlocking the diary. If we find a location to check out, Caleb and Tyler will be our dogs. No offense, but you two are like bloodhounds at finding things."

Caleb shoves Pogue playfully and Tyler punches him in the shoulder. They laugh as Pogue recovers from the assault.

"All is forgiven, brother."

"Get over to the table, you two devils. We need to read another entry. Preferably when Chase is a little bit older."

"But we don't exactly have a way to tell which entries are when. All the numbers are random." Tyler points out. Reid shrugs.

"Then we just have to take a lucky guess. Anybody read their fortune cookie numbers today?"

"Let's just skip ahead a few pages, okay?" Caleb picks up a random few pages and turns them.

The number in the corner is 92.


	2. Chilean Rose Tarantula

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chilean Rose is docile and hardy; recommended highly for beginners.
> 
> Or...
> 
> Chase kept a seven year promise.

"92 it is." Caleb turns to the Spider Compendium and uses his telekinesis to flip through the parchment.

The Chilean Rose. A tarantula. The illustration is so realistic that the rosy hair that covers the spider are vibrant on the page. They off-set the yellowed paper and black calligraphy beautifully. Caleb resists the urge to touch the drawing with his fingers and turns back to the journal. He's about to say the scientific name of the spider when Tyler cuts in and stops him.

"Dude, if this has a memory in it, let me prepare some aspirin. Because the after-effect feels like a bad hangover." Caleb stares at Tyler with an are-you-freakin'-serious-look.

"Yeah, seriously."

Caleb rolls his eyes at his Ipswich brother and shoos him away. Tyler trots upstairs, returning with a pitcher of water, cups, and aspirin. He sets it next to the compendium and steps back. Pogue addresses the rest of them.

"Would anybody else like to go and masturbate or snort some coke or something before we get on with this? Speak up now or forever hold your peace."

Reid snorts. "I would like to go and kick your ass if you say another word, Pogue."

"Alright boys, pissing contests come after our little time travel journey. Keep it in your pants until after the ride, kids." Caleb interjects.

Tyler is just off to the side, shaking his head, and waiting patiently. Caleb refocuses on the books before him, drawing a deep breath in.

"Page 92, The Chilean Rose Tarantula. Grammostola Rosea."

And the light hits just as bright as before.

*

_"Chase? What that?"_

_The seven-year-old can feel the tiny hand pull on his sleeve. His eyes follow the tiny finger of his sister's other hand to what she's pointing at. Behind the glass of the tiny terrarium is a giant tarantula. It has soft fuzzy hair all over its body, the rosy color seeming to be what catches Charlotte's attention._

_The pair walk over as Chase begins to explain. "That's a spider, Char. They are bugs that have eight legs and sometimes are really big, like that one. They also bite and the bite really hurts."_

_Charlotte looks up at her brother, amazed by his seemingly endless knowledge. She coos and grabs Chase's hand, trying to keep up with the already slowed pace of Chase's walking. When they've arrived in front of the display, she slips behind him, peeking out from behind his shirt. He lets go of Charlotte's hand to put his arm around her, pressing her completely to his side._

_"It's okay. It's inside the box, it can't get out. Even if it does, I'll protect you."_

_Her response is slow and unsure._

_She slides from behind him, approaching the spider. Her hand leaves Chase's arm, but her fingers still hangs onto Chase's like a lifeline. When she is but a few inches away from the glass, the tarantula comes to life and faces her, its eight legs carrying it from the back of the enclosure right to the glass._

_Charlotte's fingers slip from Chase's._

_They instead plant themselves on the glass, tracing the spider's legs. The tarantula doesn't move from its place and seems to stare at Charlotte. When her fingers stop, her face creases in sadness, and her hand drops. She returns, grabbing the waistband of Chase's khakis and nuzzles her face into the edge of his shirt._

_"It sad. Not happy."_

_Chase can hear past what she says without even thinking. He can see that its more than just the tarantula that's sad. He's about to hold his sister when he hears the voice of his father._

_"Chase! Come on kiddo, we're going back to the hotel."_

_Gillian and Arthur approach. The man swoops Chase up and smiles at his wife. They turn to leave, leaving Charlotte to trot behind them. For the whole walk, Charlotte keeps her eyes to the floor, never meeting Chase's gaze._

_It would be many years before they would ever look back at him ever again._

*

Reid and Tyler are already playing snatch-the-aspirin-bottle when Caleb takes his hand off his eyes. He collapses onto one of the rickety chairs and forces himself to relax. He's not quite sure what's more overwhelming, the headache or the echoing pangs of sadness in his heart. It's only when Pogue calls out his name with a cup of water in one hand and a pop of aspirin in the other does he move. He gratefully accepts the offerings and consumes both immediately. After all of them have taken their share, they're just sitting, trying to process what they just saw. There is no noise, complete and utter silence. Only Reid would break it.

"Are we gonna talk about this or nah?"

"What is there to talk about? We can already feel every emotion that Chase felt in his memory. This was obviously the beginning of his spiral descent into becoming the evil emo we all know and love." Sarcastic Pogue makes, yet again, another appearance.

"Well at least we have a location as to where one of his artifact spiders might be. I know that place; it's the Paws, Claws, and Feathers Animal Sanctuary down in Florida. I convinced Mom to let me go see the Siberian Tiger cub they had there once, but I remember they had a section specifically for exotic arachnids. If he really does love his sister as much as we think he does, he definitely made the first spider Charlotte ever loved one of the most powerful artifacts he owns. That Chilean Rose has to have some magical properties by now." Caleb says.

And Pogue the God of Almighty Reason returns. "Don't make hasty conclusions yet. We're not teleporting all the way to Florida on a wild goose chase without something a little more definite. Let's see what we can grab from the diary first."

"Yay. Reading."

-

December 13th, 1995

I wanted to make Charlotte happy. That's why we're here in Orlando. I thought that a vacation, especially to Florida, would make her happy.

But Charlotte isn't happy.

Charlotte can tell Mom and Dad don't love her. And she knows that they love me. It's not hard to figure out she's jealous. But I wonder if she still loves me. I still love her more than anything. She's my Charlotte.

She says she wants to be the spider's friend. Aren't I enough of a friend? I'm her older brother, I should be more than enough. I'm more than Mom and Dad, and absolutely more than some big bug.

But if Charlotte wants that spider, I'll get it for her. She really really likes it. The Sanctuary Owner said that it would cost me $20. I only have $2 in my pocket right now. But I'll get it for her one day. You give people you love things they like and I love Charlotte.

Just wait, your big brother will get that spider for you.

-

"So, anybody got a Florida phone book?"

"You're not helping, Reid."

"Well, I do have a laptop." Tyler supplies.

"Spoiled little shit. Doesn't anyone know why my Mom won't let me get one?" Reid bites.

"Because none of us are as a much of a little shit as you are. I'll go look up places that would carry a spider like that."

Caleb throws a nod and thankful smile at Tyler as he jogs up the stairs.

5 minutes of time gone by, Tyler finally trots back down, laptop and phone in hand. He has a triumphant smile on his face and it lights up the room. There was always something nice about seeing the youngest of them smiling like a dork.

"Paws, Claws, and Feathers Animal Sanctuary is still open."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm up for some surf, sun, ladies, and tarantulas!" Reid does an aerial backflip from the wall and everyone brushes off his childish display of powers.

"There is something though."

When Tyler "It's Not That Bad" Simms makes an appearance, the problem is worse than what he says it is. A lot worse.

"The last Chilean Rose spider they had was stolen. Someone broke in on the night of August 2nd, 2002. The next day they found $20 and a thank you note."

Caleb sighs and leans back. "Fourteen. Seven years after the first time they saw that spider and Chase still remembers that Charlotte fell in love with a spider. If we slip ahead a whole section, I think we might find Chase having a 12-year-old schoolgirl as a crush with a side dish of spider fetish. Joy."

No one is going to argue.


	3. New Zealand Fishing Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> D. Aquaticus is one of four fishing spider species native to New Zealand.
> 
> Or...
> 
> Chase wants to see Charlotte smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was finished around 3 am. Feel free to trash our mistakes.

For two days, none of the boys knew what to do.  

"That spider could be anywhere! Dead, alive, made into soup and eaten, we have no damn idea. That was a lead and a dead one. And I'm more than sure that any other spider that Chase would've given Charlotte could said the same for." Reid, for a surprising once, reasoned. 

"Well, since you grew a big enough brain to tell us that, care to provide another angle for how we can fix the problem? Instead of just using your newly developed grey matter to carve up complaints and waste time?" Pogue sneered. 

"Boys, come on, behave." Caleb murmurs.  

Reid and Pogue reconcile back at the table with Tyler, who is still diligently pouring over the compendium.

"We still need some more information, we can't just randomly flip through every notebook and compendium page." 

"Well, if there is any clue, the best possible place to find it is in here." Caleb hands Chase's file to Tyler. The younger Ipswich adds the file to the table and begins to flip through it intensely. The boys fill the room with tension while they wait for Tyler to study. The youngest Son continues between scouring the file and flipping through a few more random notebook entries, speaking the names of spiders and reading aloud the words that appear before him.  

The most interesting thing they learned was that the Collins often locked Charlotte in the basement. While Charlotte was the one supposed to be suffering, this was more punishing for Chase than it was for his sister. 

While Charlotte curled up in the darkness with the dangerous Brown Recluse (She even called him 'Bucky'. "He's a Midwestern spider, the name kinda fits.") that somehow made his home there, Chase would drive himself sick with worry. He sat at the basement door, trying to call out to Charlotte, who wasn't allowed to respond unless she wanted one of her spiders dead from bug spray when she got out. 

And it was amazing that he'd even have time to do that.  

While Charlotte was taught by private tutors, the Collins had put Chase through the most stressful lifestyle filled with nothing but extracurricular activities during his elementary and middle school years. The boys made it a game to pass time trying to figure out Chase's weekly schedule by all his accomplishments listed in his school file. 

"Wait, Tuesday he has morning swim practice, violin lessons, classical art classes, volleyball, and literature tutoring, right?" Caleb scratches his head. 

"Nope, that's Wednesday's schedule. Switch violin with flute, classical arts with math tutoring, and literature with Italian classes then it's Tuesday." Reid responds. 

"Then what's Thursday?" 

"Morning track and field, guitar, chess, football, Latin and Greek, French, and science tutoring." Pogue answers.

"Why does the guy need tutoring anyway? I thought he aced all his classes."    
"He's the tutor, not the kid getting tutored."

"I bet he gets to keep all the panties of his female students, hahahaha!"

"Dude, you've got problem." 

After a little more arguing, digging, bickering, and researching, all the boys except Tyler gave up and begin lazing around; Caleb playing with the flames of the candles, Reid walking around the room (as in, on the walls and ceiling and whatnot), and Pogue texting Kate.  

Until Tyler gets Caleb's attention with a gentle telekinetic nudge.  

"What's up, baby boy?" 

"Do you remember what school he said he free-styled for?" 

"He said Hastings. I'm assuming its the one in New York? Why?"  

"No, it's not. The Hastings he was talking about is the all-boys school in New Zealand. Apparently, they shipped him off to halfway across the world to live with a bunch of staff."

"Okay, why would the Collins ship off their precious son instead of shipping Charlotte off?" 

Tyler shrugs at the eldest Ipswich son. "Well there are two options, we could teleport to New Zealand, making us about five years older, and take about two years to go through all the school records just to look for Chase's. Or, you guys can try and help me find page 71 in the notebook."

"And 71 is special because...?"  

"The spiders aren't randomly chosen for each entry. They're all associated somehow with it. Like the Chilean Rose, it was the first spider Charlotte saw, so Chase used that specific spider to seal that particular memory. Page 71 is the Dolomedes Aquaticus; a type of New Zealand fishing spider. This could be a link to why or just a moment in his life during his time at Hastings."  

"Here, found it. Gimme the compendium, please."

Tyler pouts cutely at Caleb. "But I wanna read it. You've initiated a memory sequence twice already. I wanna do one!"

Caleb smirks. "And how are you so sure that this is a memory sequence, baby boy?" 

"I'm not, but I don't wanna miss the chance if it is." Caleb ruffles the hair on Tyler's head and chuckles. 

"Alright kid." 

"Awwww, Caleb you too!? Isn't there anyone else but me who isn't wrapped around this kid's finger?" Reid whines. 

Caleb goes over and claps Reid on the back of the head. "Jealous?" 

"Shut UP!" 

  
*

_A fourteen-year-old Chase straightens his tie for the umpteenth time while his blue eyes carefully and nervously scan the room. This dinner only happens once a year and he had to work hard at his swimming to get here. This is one of the few events that a student's family would be able to visit. Chase is more than giddy and excited to see Charlotte. He wanted to see her smile again and nothing makes Charlotte happier than seeing an exotic spider._

_When he cannot find what he's looking for, he finds an empty chair off to the side and sits. Slouching over, he puts his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands over his mouth. Closing his eyes, he whispers._

_"Let me see."_

_A flash of the fire laces over his dark lashes for only a moment. Underneath, his darkness black eyes twitch left to right. Chase can now see the whole room through the added pairs of eyes that he has._

_"Boss, are we lookin' for Lady Charlotte or ya parents?"_

_Telepathy with spiders, one of Chase's many talents. Apparently, if you patiently talk to and teach them, spiders can be quite smart._

_"Both, Iri. If we can find my parents, Charlotte will most likely be following behind them."_

_"How do ya know dat Lady Charlotte will be here, Boss? Maybe ya parents left her back in da States."_

_Cynical little Irirangi, a New Zealand Fishing Spider. And Chase's gift to Charlotte. Provided that they could find her._

_"No, I specifically asked them to bring Charlotte. And I wouldn't let them pull the 'oh, she said she didn't want to come' bullshit with me by telling them to force her if she said no."_

_Irirangi is silent, contemplating those thoughts. The silence was bothering Chase, planting a seed of doubt in his mind. He brushes it off and calls to a Zebra Spider at the other end of the room. She was a parting gift from Charlotte when he left._  

_"Hey Sadie, how about a change in scenery, eh?"_

_"Okay! Where to, Master?" The cherry little arachnid spouts._

_"For now, why don't you just come back to me and Irirangi? We'll look for Charlotte together after. Cool?"_

_"Can I go through the humans, Master?" Sadie pleads. Chase chuckles as he remembers Sadie and her species' awareness and fascination with humans._

_"Take the free fall first, then I'll help you."_

_"Thank you, Master, I love you!"_

_With a single push of her powerful legs, Sadie jumps from the corner of the room. Chase feels the rush of vertigo as through their synced up senses as Sadie free falls from her perch. While the fall might not be far for a human, for a spider as small as her, the drop feels like falling from a cliff. She lands on the small of a man's back, but doesn't linger. Sadie quickly leaps to a nearby table and Chase eases his mind's motor controls to accommodate eight legs. He guides Sadie into the folds of the tablecloth and quickly navigates to the other side without the occupants noticing her presence. Chase passes back control to Sadie as she jumps again. This time, she lands on a sequin dress of a girl walking in Chase's direction. Sadie sighs._

_"I think this girl I'm hitch-hiking on is coming over to flirt with you, Master. Her pheromones are going wild since she's got her eyes on you."  
_

_"Aw, Sadie. Are you jealous?"_

_"Boss, her sexual attraction to ya is so strong, I can smell it over da scent of ya 200 bottles hair gel and cologne. If dis skank over here were a poisonous spider, I'd tell her to go choke on her own venom sacks."_

_When the girl is nearly foot to foot with Chase, Sadie leaps onto the floor and scurries to her Master. Jumping over his shiny shoes, she joins Irirangi in hanging onto the inner trim of his black slacks. Chase reaches out to Sadie to make sure she's alright before opening his eyes and focusing on the girl that somehow found another empty chair to bring over. He keeps the link to his spiders open, because he knows conversing with a human is going to get boring. Quickly._

_Chase learns that the girl's name is Melanie. She's also a younger sister and she is deathly afraid of spiders. Melanie is also single (courtesy of Sadie), the only reason she came to this Annual Sports Dinner is because she's looking for a boyfriend to take home to Mama and Papa (Irirangi is usually right about this shit), and she's really getting on Chase's nerves._

_And so, for once, he's thankful for his parent's presence. It gives him an excuse to tear himself away from the claws of the thirsty bitch on his arm. His mother and father are chatting with another set of parents and he tells Melanie to leave so that he could go 'greet Mom and Dad'._

_"Well, they're chatting with my parents. Why don't I come along and introduce you to my Mom and Dad?"_

_Sadie gives Chase a sympathetic pat on the back through their telepathic connection. Irirangi just quips at Chase._

_"Well Boss, ya just have some piss poor luck. My frustration for ya is so monumental, I'll give ya a care package when da shit has blown past."_

_"If you put guppies on my textbook one more time, Iri..."_

_Irirangi laughs and Sadie shuts him up by jabbing him with her leg. He pats her abdomen with a good-natured chuckle, making Chase physically grin at the two spider's easy friendship. Melanie mistakes the smile as a 'yes' on Chase's reponse to her question and weaves her arm into his. Chase, though slightly shocked at the sudden and intrusive action, smoothly follows her in getting up and walking over to their family._

_"Oh Chase! Come here and let Mama see you."_

_Chase plays the son-embarassed-by-overly-affectionate-mother so well that Sadie is ready to nominate him for an Oscar and Irirangi is gonna put him in the BAFTAs. After following the role a little bit more, he finally asks the question that has been hanging in his mind all night._

_"Where's Charlotte?"_

_The look on his parent's face soured. The Winston family next to them doesn't notice the change on their faces and asks, "Who's Charlotte?" As if it was the most innocent question in the world. The sourness on the Collins' faces morphs quickly into that of fake pity. Only Chase could hear the vehement sneer in Gillian's voice as he tries to not let the next sentence destroy him._

_"Honey, we tried to get her to come, we really did. But your sister didn't want to come and see you."_

_That night, Sadie would try to invite Chase to go web-jumping with her. Even the Daddy Long Legs that usually kept to herself in the dusty corner of Chase's closet would offer up her listening ear. When Chase offers to release Irirangi back into the wild, the fishing spider says..._

_"I cannot leave ya stewin' in ya own hatred, Boss. In fact, I won't leave until ya stop or I die an old man."_

_Irirangi would stay with Chase until his natural death ten months later._

*

Caleb grabs a glass of water and doubles over the table. He takes a breath to try and stave off the pounding in his head. Caleb turns and leans against the table, watching his younger brothers sitting in the stools, rubbing out the skull-splitting pains and chatting amongst themselves.

"I kinda feel sorry for Chase. His parents definitely had something to do with Charlotte not being at the dinner. And he was so excited to see her too. He caught that spider for Charlotte, only to have her not show. Poor kid." Tyler sighs. 

"I would be overwhelmed by the sadness too, but then I remember that CHARLOTTE IS HIS KID SISTER. His feelings for her are incest! The two were raised together like siblings, so don't give me that they-aren't-biologically-related crap. I like boys as much as I like girls, but you don't see me going after you guys." Pogue grumbles.

"But incest or not, it's kinda heartbreaking. You saw how dressed up he was for this. Hell, even Irirangi says it. He really wanted to do good for Charlotte and he doesn't even get the chance. As an older brother, he really wished his sister was there; as a guy, he really wanted the love of his life to be there. The fact that it's both kind of makes it hurt twice as much." 

Pogue and Tyler look at Reid as though he had grown a second head.

"What? I'm a romanticist!"

Even Caleb rolls his eyes. 

"Alright then, Romeo. Get over here and stop fangirling over Chase. We still have to read about him in this sappy romance novel." Caleb calls. The boys gather around the open compendium and the notebook, eyes adjusting to the elegant cursive that made the page seem like an art piece.

-  
 September 3rd, 2002

Is it really possible? Does Charlotte really not want to see me? I thought she had forgiven me for what I had done. I begged for her forgiveness, didn't I? She said she would get over it, right? All she needed was some time and space.

Can she really not bear to see me even now?

Irirangi says I should let go of my anger, of the hatred I have for that beast that tried to use my Charlotte. But how could I? That monster deserved more than what he suffered. He used his position to manipulate my Charlotte into debauchery. If I could, I would've had him pay with his life 5000 times over!

But Charlotte...still loves him, doesn't she?

That's the only reason why she wouldn't be here. If she had really forgiven me, Charlotte wouldn't abandon me like this. I miss her. I miss her so much. All I want is to see her again, is that too much to ask?

Yvonne (the Long Legs girl finally introduced herself) says that maybe I should try getting over Charlotte permanently.

"A girl's heart will never forget the first man that made her feel love. I still miss my first mate, to be honest. Sometimes, if a girl really does fall in love with that first man and he treats her right, she might never be over him. And if she's never loved you like that, you can forget about trying to change her mind when she's in that state."

And as much as I hate to admit it...I think Yvonne might be right. But that doesn't mean I'm going to forget about my love for Charlotte. She's my sister and I loved her first. As wrong as it may be, I'm still going to love my Charlotte as I always have...and always will.

-

"We have a new lead, boys. If we can find this guy, maybe we can find out if he knows anything about where Charlotte is now." Caleb announces triumphantly.

"I think I have a clue as to who this 'monster' Chase talks about." Pogue says. "It might've been one of Charlotte's tutors."

"Yeah, her social circle is small, due to the fact she's had those tutors all her life. That, and they're the only ones who could spend enough time with her to 'manipulate' her. It wouldn't be unusual for such an isolated girl to develop a crush on someone she would spend so much time with." Tyler supplies.

"You really need to stop stating the obvious every once in a while, Tyler. It's not as helpful as you think it is." Reid sighs.

"Well, first we need a name. Private tutors would mean that Charlotte would've been listed under her school district as 'home-schooled', so that's out. We can go to the library and check the local newspapers to see if her name turns up anywhere else, but I doubt it. And I am not risking another headache by sifting through the diary again. The headaches are getting more and more intense each time." Pogue reasons.

"The Collins were a very influential and prominent family. They probably knew people who could introduce them to private tutors for Charlotte. If they did use their connections like that, it's possible that we could talk to some of these people." Caleb figures.

"For once, being an old money rich boy has its perks, eh?" Reid quips.

Nobody slaps him because everyone agrees.


	4. Nabeyaki Udon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nabeyaki udon has a wide range of vegetables, seafood, and udon noodles cooked in a nabe (a metal hotpot pot). 
> 
> Or...
> 
> The Sons plan their next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'RE BAAAACK.
> 
> Ish.
> 
> Not really. We'll work on this thing sparsely, but we're going to be changing the pacing a bit from our original idea. And yes, we'll have "food" chapters now. You can throw food at us too, since we're poor college students, we'll gladly accept them. 
> 
> Thanks for coming back or reading. Whichever, whatever. :)
> 
> In any case, enjoy or flame. Who cares? :D

In an obscure corner of his closet, Caleb found one of his old suit jackets. In the inner pocket was the phone number of a princess from somewhere written on a thong. Aside from Reid now casting himself as student to Caleb “Thong-Snatcher” Danvers, the Sons would do nothing but spend the next week pouring over their families’ contacts. Evelyn Danvers would be the only one of the parents who knew the truth of their mission. The basement of the Danvers’ colony home filled with the smell of her home-cooked food and kindness, alongside the endless ringing of dial tones, clicking of rolodexes, slipping of pages in address books, and the electronic voices of strangers.  

“Caleb, young man! How’ve you been? School life going well?”

“I’ve been alright, sir. It’s just that now it’s my final year and I’ve been taking lots of AP classes, so I’m having a little bit of a struggle.” Caleb smoothly lied.

A hearty laugh on the other line, “Well, I suppose a young man can’t be good at everything, right?” Caleb grit his teeth at the sheer arrogance at the biting remark and instead gave a mirthless laugh.

“True, true. But I think you could do me a giant favor.” Like snake oil. Even Caleb is surprised at himself for being able to speak so gently. Especially when it comes to having slimy businessmen, like Jerome Haltus, fall right into his hands. How his father dealt with this well-oiled piece of shit is beyond him.

“Anything for a Danvers! Go on, what do you need from good ol’ Uncle Jerome?” Right on time to go from snarky to asskisser.

“Just a tutor recommendation. Last time I spoke with Danielle, she told me that you hooked her up with a private tutor; well-qualified and highly regarded. If there is anyone who knows how to get capable people working, it’s you.”

Haltus gives a happy chuckle, “I’m just glad that you and Danielle can talk. And yes, since that girl of mine got a tutor, she’s been all good grades and “Daddy, can I have this-and-that if I get my grades this semester?”. At this point, I still owe her yet another Valentino dress and a summer vacation with her friends in Maldives.” Perfect, an inning. Spoiled little Danielle Haltus has never been able to tie down Caleb, much to the disappointment of her father’s business interests.

“I’ll be able to surprise her there as well if I use my grades as a bargaining chip. All I need is a name and number, Uncle.”

“Like I said anything, for a Danvers! Your father was the best man I’ve done business with in all 46 years of creeping through the snake dens. Why, when we were…” Caleb sighed and got up to stretch his legs. He mutes his side of the call and takes his phone with him so that he could keep track of the bullshit spewing out from the tiny speaker, but his attention went to surveying his brothers.

Tyler had passed out sometime before. Being that the current time now was 3:43 in the morning, he didn’t blame him. Evelyn covered him in a light but warm blanket and the youngest Ipswich was now snoozing away, his cellphone barely being held onto by his fingers. Caleb gently took the phone from him and placed it by Tyler little workstation/niche he had formed from one of the tables. On the other side of the room where the fire pit is, Reid thoroughly enjoys anything that is even partway edible (Caleb theorizes that stupidity takes a lot of energy to produce, since there is no way the average human stomach is capable of handling the amount of food Reid consumes) where Pogue just likes warmer temperatures when sleeping. With winter settling in, Mama Danvers had found a _nabe_ pot that the family had brought home from a business trip/vacation in Japan one time. After a little polishing and a whole day trip to the grocery store, a _nabeyaki udon_ sat above the fire pit and has slowly fed all four boys since the afternoon. Some instant chicken stock powder and several pitchers of water were off to the side along with a few grocery bags filled with either trash or some combination of seafood and vegetables.  

“Your daikon slices are ready.” Reid says, handing Caleb his bowl and chopsticks as the younger blinked and his eyes flashed black. A package of pre-cooked udon noodles and two raw eggs were lifted from the grocery bags. The packaging opened and flew back to the other bags where one was designated for all the trash while broken eggshells did the same after they released their contents into the hot broth. The broth starts to swirl, poaching the eggs. The fire pit blazes for a second, turning up the temperature of the flames. Three pieces of broth-soaked daikon levitate into Caleb’s bowl.

“You’ve never been afraid of the cold.” Caleb starts offhandedly.

“It helps with the lasting effects of the headaches, somewhat. Using for tiny things like that isn’t going to kill me, Caleb.” Reid’s voice is scratchy and quiet from fatigue, even with the warm soup he keeps drinking. Pogue shifts, deeply asleep, as Reid is about to use. Caleb stops Reid, his own eyes flashing black, as the elder grabs Pogue’s jacket and puts it over the sleeping Ipswich’s shoulders. There is a moment of silence where all they can hear is the _nabeyaki_ bubbling away.  

“You know better, dude.” Caleb takes a harsh bite into one of the daikon slices in his bowl, letting the hot soup spill out and sting his mouth. He moves to collect some of the udon simmering away. The noodles keep slipping from his chopsticks, but Caleb is too stubborn to use either the ladle or the Power.

“It would’ve been different if Chase knew better too.” Reid says softly into his bowl, taking a silent sip.

Caleb stops short and looks down guiltily at his bowl, focusing on the silhouette lines of his chopsticks in the broth. Reid’s not wrong, he surmises. It would’ve been different, even if he wasn’t alongside the rest of the Sons. If only he knew. If only someone, anyone, had told him that one crucial thing about the Power. It made Chase’s voice echoed in Caleb’s head, “ _You don’t know what it’s like, growing up and not knowing what this was._ ” It forced Caleb to recall how scared he sounded, how it must’ve affected him and Charlotte. If he hid it from her, how it felt having to keep such a thing from her when Caleb himself couldn’t bear the weight of keeping it from Sarah...

The eldest Ipswich ladles some hot stock into Reid bowl. He takes a glance at his younger brother, his lips ready to speak sage, but notices Reid’s normally bubbly green eyes stare hawk-eyed at his pocket.

“Ah, sorry about that Caleb! Obviously you can’t do anything about the new deals we’re closing with Subaru and Honda, but I’m glad you listened. You were asking for one of Danielle’s tutors, right? Well, gossiping with your mom has made my wife quite knowledgable about you and I think that she said you had problems with European History once. I have a tutor who has taught some good families, like the Collinses in Haversfield and the Winstons up in Manhattan. You know, that little city where I did business with the produce markets and whatnot. Yes, Arthur was a clever lad--er--anyway. A tutor by the name of Dorian Babineaux. He’s a bit of a grandpa, old as the dirt I’m from, but he’s gotten Danielle to the top of her class in European History--”

Caleb’s thumbs moved at the speed of lightning to unmute the phone and put it on speakerphone. Reid used and a pen and notepad sped into his awaiting hand.

“Aw, that’s perfect, Uncle Jerome. You got a number for this Mr. Babineaux?”

Caleb’s eyes were consumed in black as he telepathically nudges Tyler and Pogue awake. The small throbbing in the back of his head faded completely, just as Reid had said. The youngest Son waddled over to the fire pit in his blankets and settled in next to Reid as Pogue bolted up then shifted next to Caleb.   

  
“Um--hm, why yes! And I’ve also got a date for that Maldives vacation too!”

“Let’s take it one step at a time, Uncle. Babineaux first, then we’ll talk about summer vacation.”  
  
“Ah, to be young again. Easy with time and always eager to smell the roses. Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Although it’s all up to you now! You can find Babineaux at….”

As soon as the number was given, Caleb gave a quick thank you and hurriedly ended the call. Reid ripped out the tiny slip of paper and handed it to Caleb. The Sons looked at their eldest as he sighed and left a moment quiet.

“We need more, boys.”

“And it’s not like we have a better option to find Charlotte and the spiders. We’ve tried all that we could. She wasn’t present at the accident, there’s no school records of her, she was so sheltered no one could’ve known who she was, she’s missing, and all the background we got on Chase on my work desk.” Tyler says.

“That pile of pandemonium is not a work desk and it’s the best lead we have so far, Caleb.” Reid says, surprisingly calm.

Pogue puts a warm hand on the back of Caleb’s neck, “Look, I know it’s not solid. He’s older than Haltus and is probably deader than dirt or something, but he’s been our best shot all week. We can’t stop--”

“We’re not stopping, Pogue. I’m saying that there has to be something more to that diary entry than just some guy close to Charlotte. Chase called him a ‘beast’ and a ‘monster’ and got Charlotte caught up in ‘debauchery’. He’s never mentioned any names and the tutor is only a theory. We might be looking in the wrong place and we don’t have the time to go chasing after another dead lead. And Charlotte might not even be the best person to cast the memory spell on, especially if he hid the Power from her.”             

It’s hard for the younger Sons to go against Caleb and the silence that follows Pogue’s reasoning makes the eldest Son feel guilty.

“Charlotte is all we have, man. She’s the only one.” Reid whispers.

“Maybe not.”

Three pairs of eyes snap to Tyler. He trots over to the aspirin bottle by his work desk. He swipes it and waddles back, speaking to his brothers as he approaches.

“That girl in the memory, Melanie. Her last name was Winston?” Tyler nods towards Caleb and throws him the bottle. The eldest Ipswich looks at Reid, who can be especially useful when it comes to social connections. _Especially_ with girls. With a bold smirk, Reid perked up.

“Winston Pharmaceuticals. One of the biggest on the East Coast. Manhattan, but…” Reid’s lips wrinkled, thinking.

“But…?”

“Last I heard, Melanie is now engaged. She’s apparently got her head screwed on straight now that she’s 21 and has stopped playing around with younger guys.” Tyler finished up towards Pogue. Caleb gives a stern side-eye at Tyler for even helping Reid keeps tabs on his--ahem--social circles, but then turns back to Reid.

“We need to think about how likely she’s to remember Chase though. If she doesn’t even--”

“We should try.” Reid interjects confidently. “I mean, she’s gotta have a little black book somewhere, right? We might as well give it a shot.”

“I’m not sure that I wanna follow down that route with the way Reid is talking. I don’t think he’s thinking with his head.” Pogue starts.

“No, he isn’t, but he’s right.” Caleb grumbles. He mildly glares at Reid and Tyler, while the two share a pair of mischievous smirks. Caleb suddenly becomes a ninja and throws a noodle at them with his chopsticks. Tyler catches it with the reflexes of an equally adept ninja and plops it into Reid’s bowl. The blonde shrugs and slurps it up while Caleb continues, “Let’s...refocus. So we have equal bets on Babineaux and Winston on how much they’d know. Which is not much.”

“I think we’re desperate enough to chase down what we have, even if it results in a dead end. But at least we’ll lessen our potentially wasted time if we split up.” Pogue reasons.

The younger Ipswiches agree with a nod. Caleb sees that he’s outvoted and sighs, rubbing his tired eyes, “Alright then. We head out later in the day. For now, let’s finish up the nabeyaki and get some sleep. Pogue and I will go visit Winston. Tyler, try to be responsible for Reid taking him to Babineaux's.”

“Why are you sticking me on the old man!?” Reid shouts, pointing his chopsticks at Caleb.

“Because we don’t want you sticking on or in anyplace you’re not supposed to.” Pogue snaps.

“Wha--”

“Don’t lie, Reid.” Pogue barks.

“I mean, I would, but--” Reid grins.

“NO. Now help us finish it and get the stuff out of here before Tyler eats the whole thing by himself.” Caleb says, snatching the ladle just before Tyler swoops in. The youngest pouts, but Caleb just coolly spoons a bunch of vegetables into his and Tyler’s bowls. The eldest pointedly looks at Tyler, “Eat them or else.” Tyler drawls and pouts, “Yes mooooom.”

“Yes mom indeed, Tyler. You’re getting chubby.”

The boys look to the top of the stairs and see Evelyn Danvers; wrapped in a fluffy shawl over silk pajamas. As she descends, Caleb meets her halfway through the room and greets her with a kiss.

“Pogue’s right. You boys have been running on single hours of sleep all week looking through all this junk,” she spits out the last word while pointing to the stack of chaos which is mostly Tyler’s territory, “and have only come up with those two names.”

She turns to Caleb with a pitiful look on her face, “They’re tired, baby. You’re tired. But over my corpse if I have to lose another man in my life to the damn Power and all the shit it causes.”

“I know, Mom.” Caleb says softly.

“No, I don’t think you do.”

Not even the other boys can stop from looking guilty. Caleb winces from his mother’s words, but bravely faces her frustrated eyes. He smiles at his mother and hugs her. He can feel those warm arms around him, tight and gripping, like this would be the last time Caleb would be in them. He takes a deep breath and calms from the light scent of mousse permeating around her curlers.

“We won’t die of sleep deprivation from this, Mom. I promise.” Caleb says reassuringly with a smile, “So don’t worry about this and die from no sleep on me either.”

Evelyn claps her son on the back of his head, making him flinch with a yelp. The other Ipswich snicker as he rubs his head and stares flatly at them. By the time Caleb turns around, his mother was already halfway up the stairs.

“When you boys are done, just leave the pot in the sink to soak in soapy water. If you boys need anything, just shout.” Evelyn shouts. A chorus of random good nights and thank yous follow her out the door. When the ancient wooden door creaks and clicks shut, Caleb stares into the solemn faces of his brothers. They let Evelyn’s words sink in, thinking about Caleb’s dad and Chase. They knew better what the price of the Power was and all the darkness that came with it. But perhaps that’s what made erasing Chase so important, important enough that they would spend this type of time and energy into making a new Covenant just for this.    

“Pogue and I will visit the Winstons while Tyler and Reid find Babineaux. Find out what you can about Charlotte’s talents and her relationship with her family. As for Melanie, we’ll see if we can dig up any dirt on Chase or anything special that he left with her. Phones stay on and we rendezvous back here,” Caleb speaks with a solid tone, commanding.

“And eyes open for spiders. Anything that’ll let us crack open that diary and compendium is one step closer to Chase’s secrets. Hopefully.” Pogue sighs.

The Sons nod in agreement and finish up the _nabeyaki_. As the rest prepare their little nests of pillows and blankets in the old basement, Caleb brings the giant pot and the trash upstairs. It appears that Gorman was waiting for him, as the old man sits at the round dinner table with a cup of warm tea in his hands. As soon as he meets eyes with Caleb after the pot was filled with soapy water, he gets right to the point.

“He isn’t that annoying.” Gorman says quietly.

“Not unless he’s being threatened.” Caleb finishes.

“Jerome Haltus is not a man easily shaken. But he can be shook. But only by a powerful person. And not by any economical or political power either.” Gorman’s sharp tone isn’t lost on Caleb. The old man was a sage and the warlock has learned all his life to heed his drops of wisdom.

“You didn’t kill him, Caleb. Only banished him. And you don’t even know where. The Danvers may be the bloodline that has the strongest control over the earthly world, but it’s the Putnams who have always been the ones most in touch with the mystical. Who knows what otherworldly things you could’ve given him access to when you didn’t kill him.” It’s scratchy and rough, but Caleb can hear the sternness in Gorman’s voice.

“He was still one of us, Gorman.” Caleb says, his stare on the floor, “I’ll find a way to stop him. Before he hurts anyone else.”

Enough seconds pass for there to be a poignant silence between them until Gorman takes his tea, tucks out of the chair, and begins washing the _nabe_ pot. Caleb only watches the old man’s tightened back as the clinking of dishes and sloshing of water fill the room.

“Get some sleep, son...while the nabe is still warming you up.”

Caleb had also learned to pick out the little pinpricks of gentleness in the old man’s dark voice. With the same calm, the Ipswich says a quiet good night before rejoining the other Sons in the basement.


	5. Gewürztraminer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A German variety of a white wine whose grapes do best in cooler climates. 
> 
> Or...
> 
> The Sons execute their next move.

Dorian Babineaux was an elderly man whose dark chocolate skin contrasted with the small, tightly wound curls of his white hair. But the man was anything but old and senile. In fact, when Tyler and Reid first knocked on the door of the Gloucester address they found in the public records, they were met with a six foot tall, broad shouldered man with the stance of a nobleman. And he spoke to them with nothing that would indicate his old age than his wisdom and his sharpness for people. Tyler and Reid didn’t even bother with small talk from across his spotless coffee table after he’d invited them in.

“Charlotte Collins...yes. Bright girl. Not clever, but eager to learn. Exceptional dancer and...” Babineaux trails off into silence as his eyes narrowed at the two Sons, “Why are you looking for her?” It takes a lot of nerve for Reid not to completely vomit out the entire reason they’re looking for Charlotte under his sharp gaze.

“We’re looking for her brother, Chase.” 

The old man examines the two strange youngsters sitting on his couch with a hound’s eye. They try to hide their nervousness as best they can, but it’s not enough. He sees right through them.

“I don’t like that kind of obscurity. Let me ask again.” Babineaux’s body shifts and becomes defensive. His light French accent does nothing to lighten the tone of his voice, “Why are you looking for Charlotte Collins?”

Tyler and Reid look at each other defeatedly. Tyler sighs, “Chase is planning something. Something bad. We don’t know what it is, only that we’ll be at the wrong end of it. And we’re trying to stop him. I think Charlotte will know where he is or what way we can get to him. We just have to persuade her to help us when we find her.”

“With some  _ aggressive _ persuasion?” Babineaux’s eyes sharpen. Tyler grits his teeth to retain his confidence from beneath that glare and shakes his head.

“No sir. Only persuasion.” Tyler counters.

The old man’s face is a stone. Tyler and Reid can’t tell if that bit of truth worked. Not until Babineaux opens his mouth to speak.

“Best find someone else to persuade,” Babineaux grabs his cup off the coffee table and slowly rises from his armchair, “because Charlotte won’t say a word to you and neither will I.”

Reid darts up and speaks, “Sir, please. We need her help. She’s the only one who can stop Chase. There’s no one else we can turn to.”

Babineaux begins to lead the two to the door as they plead for him to help. It’s Tyler’s words that stop Babineaux a few steps from the door, “Chase is also looking for the man who hurt his sister. Isn’t that you?” 

Babineaux’s form slouches as he sighs, as if someone had just thrown a palette of bricks into his hands, collapsing a dam holding back a flood’s worth of secrets. The true weight shows, not only on his slumped shoulders, but on the heavy lines of his face.

“No...it wasn’t me. But perhaps, I deserve the same as that guy. Chase probably thinks that I’m no better. I’m inclined to agree.”

The stagnant silence pounds away. Babineaux still gave them his back, his hand able to reach out and grab the doorknob at any second. Reid and Tyler are ready to use to stop him, the rims of their eyes about to grow hot with a flash of fire. 

“Charlotte’s loyalty endures. If you’re even half as honest as you were with me, you’ll never find out anything. Learn to lie a little bit...” The tiredness in the old man’s eyes stops them from using on him. 

But in trade, Tyler and Reid are greeted with an open door and the parting words, “...when you have, come back and we’ll talk.”

***

“I guess I can understand that, Caleb. It’s just a pity that you think the same way. You would’ve been one of my favorites.” Melanie twirls her glass, filled halfway full with some kind of German white wine that neither Caleb nor Pogue could grasp the name of. The boys were served the same thing, although Caleb only wet his lips while Pogue was on his third glass because he was mama and he needed a drink.

“Only one of your favorites?” Caleb puts on a hot smirk and tilts his head just so that he looks cute. Pogue hides his cringe-face by emptying his glass with a gulp so big that it almost makes him choke. Melanie may like younger guys, but now Pogue knows how horrible flirty Caleb could be. The performance of Caleb pretending that he likes younger girls is especially grating.  

Melanie laughs, genuine and sweet. She doesn’t really fit with the sexy image she presents to the world; with her sultry red lips and soft foxy eyes. Instead of giving expectations, Melanie’s words come off like harmless water-cooler flirtation. It’s probably because of that laugh, like warm bubbly cider. It doesn’t even convey lust when she smiles whimsically at Caleb,“Oh stop it, you. It’s naughty to tease a lady when you’re asking so eagerly about another one, you know.” Melanie gives a sharp smile toward Caleb, “Especially when it implies that I’ve lost to a little man-eater.” 

Pogue swoops in, seeing the subtle turn in her eyes, “Fourteen is a little young to leave a trail of broken hearts big enough to make you worried though, right?”

She sneers so minutely, Pogue would’ve missed it if he wasn’t completely trained on her face. But it’s that sneer that makes her head tilt at an angle where her cherry red lips looks like bright crimson fire instead, “I wasn’t worried, but Charlotte isn’t something I’m too eager to talk about. She’s--” Melanie’s voice trails off with her eyes towards the beautiful city skyline outside her apartment window. Caleb latches onto her hanging word.

“She’s…?”

Melanie’s eyes redirect back to Caleb sharper than before, “Just stay away from her, Caleb. I’m saying this to no one’s benefit other than you. She’s...not one you should get invested in.”

“Miss--”

“No, I can’t tell you anymore. It’s not right for me to speak on. Just...don’t.”

Without further words, the two boys are escorted out of the building. 

***

It’s Pogue who wakes up in the middle of the night. 

After their fruitless interviews with Babineaux and Melanie, the white wine he drank at Melanie’s house isn’t doing it. He doesn’t like drinking in front of his brothers, but Mama Danvers has given her blessing between him and her whiskey bottles. It’s a relationship that Pogue can’t seem to quit. For now, it’s harmless. Kind of. So, Pogue softly skips down the carpeted stairs of the Danvers mansion (they have always slept at Caleb’s house when they were doing projects, both academic and magic) and to the living room.

Then he feels it. But when none of his other brothers are coming as he feels a slight vibration of the Power nudging the back of his brain, he can pretty much narrow down what kind of magic is being used. So faint and barely there, but Pogue can feel it.

Someone, or  _ something _ , is trying to pierce the veil.

And there is a barrier around them. There should be no need for secrecy when using the Power for divination or foresight. Unless you are trying to hide the fact that you are using divination at all from the one bloodline that is specifically tuned in to the clairvoyant arts. 

And why the hell would you be doing it right in the dining room when there’s a seance table in a secret room behind the pantry?Well, that’s because it’s not a seance, divination, or a fortune-telling in progress at the dinner table. It’s a giant spider, a hideous green with mottled white markings. The web it’s spun reaches from one end of the room to another, intricate and beautiful. Pogue would’ve admired it, instead of screaming for Caleb and Reid and casting a giant pulse of telekinetic energy that swept his eyes abyssal black; but unfortunately, Tyler was in there. 

And he was about to get eaten. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We think that this chapter is a bit shorter than the last food chapter. We'll try to keep it that way.
> 
> And spoiler. We suck at action scenes, so there's not much fighting, but a shit-ton of quipping and joking. :D


End file.
